The Mystery of the Midnight Rider

[@BedtimeStoriesChannel]

Special thanks to Aaron Bosh for suggesting this subject as the winner of our Halloween competition. You asked and we listened: Return to the Nightshift is in the works (top rated comment on the Betz Sphere video). Some considerations regarding this episode: In our research, we found multiple spellings of Leo Verkuelehn's surname. In some sources it is spelled "Verhuelehn" or "Verbuelehn". We simply went with the one that appeared most frequently. Some sources also state that he was _not_ the owner of the house, but one of the labourers digging out the basement. Again, we went with the information that most articles agreed upon (that he was the owner). Finally, some sources (including the Wikipedia article) state that Butler died in 1913. Both his obituary and tombstone show the year of his death as 1911.

[@waningmooncancer9628]

Thank you, gentlemen, for another awesome installment. I haven't even listened yet, but come on, it's Bedtime Stories....no need to say more. Except for a mention on your theme music: I LOVE IT. I listen to it every episode, and it refuses to get old and tired. THANK YOU 😊

[@menace10man14]

Love the videos ❤

[@quietdignityandgrace]

It surprises me that the authorities didn't give the victims a proper burial, especially for the time. I'm NOT surprised about the souvenir hunters though. Pesky humans. Back then if you got bored you'd take the kids to the morgue for fun.

[@isaacschmitt4803]

Something I've found in researching people in the US, especially from the 1800's and early 1900's, clerical errors are *everywhere.* No one cared about proper spelling or verifying that what they heard was indeed the correct word or name. Frankly it's disgusting how little people cared to get things right on official paperwork back in the day. These days you so much as have your pen slip on an official government document, you've got to start from scratch. And don't you dare slash your zeroes or cross your sevens, even though the government is who taught me to *do* that in the first place! (they make you relearn the alphabet and numbers their way in boot camp)

[@koopaboy6661]

Ideas for video: The Phoenix Lights The Ghosts on the Queen Mary The Curse of Talladega Superspeedway

[@mokus6686]

I'm not saying he wasn't because obviously he was but I find it strange how those people were quick to call Butler mad but found it perfectly normal to steal bones of murder victims to keep as souvenirs. Great work as usual by the Bedtime story team , your videos never disappoint

[@patriciahayes2664]

Nobody ever said human nature made sense.

[@kelleychilton2524]

Back in those days it wasn't unusual for people to take a 'souvenir' from a crime scene or notorious criminal. When Bonnie and Clyde were shot to death in 1934, crowds gathered around to get a look at their corpses and some folks even cut locks of hair from Bonnie's head and cut away pieces of clothing from their bodies.

[@patriciahayes2664]

@@kelleychilton2524 Like I said, nobody ever said human nature made any sense, especially in its darker aspects.

[@mokus6686]

@@kelleychilton2524 I guess it says a lot about human nature....sad

[@mokus6686]

@@patriciahayes2664 so true

[@markcambrone8369]

With a name like Midnight Rider, I half expected a motorcyclist supervillain.

[@sherryceltic9856]

We did, too!

[@TiesOfZip]

That was my first impression also

[@bangmateo7481]

There was a night rider that used to transport coke across arizona highway in a super car with no light and he used night vision reach speeds for 200mph. Troopers couldnt do much.

[@RenerDeCastro]

I actually thought he was one of the members of the rock band from Left 4 Dead 2.

[@onlynameMrBlank]

Lobo?

[@lilliankeane5731]

It’s always sad and disappointing when a victims don’t get named, and to have five victims , including children , is worst of all, I wonder about their last moments their fear and shock. I really do hope they found peace in the after life.

[@LongDongJohnson0705]

Something I don't think about much because stories are so good, but I love the accompanied animation. The artwork is phenomenal, it creates a definite vibe/mood/feel, I love the small use of bright color for lights, flame, etc. Just something I don't think gets mentioned enough and is amazing.

[@patriciahayes2664]

It could be that Eugene Butler kidnapped people he came upon while patrolling his land. He took them back to his house, killed them, and buried them in the crawl space. What's interesting is the almost ritualistic way Butler smashed his victims' skulls to bits, like something a schizophrenic person would do. And since he claimed he heard voices telling him what to do, it's more than likely that Butler suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, which would explain his dark actions.🤔

[@truthseeker2321]

Who would be wandering around in the night in those days? It would have to have been people who were local, but no locals were ever reported missing, and not that many people would travel at night in those days, unless it was by coaches or trains. And how would he have six different victims, who would have stumbled onto his property, either separately or in a small group? These days it wouldn't be that uncommon for strangers to be wandering through town or countryside by night on foot, because of homelessness. I wonder if those bodies were already there, before he bought the property and built his house, and he was being haunted by their spirits, not knowing that they were buried right under him, and it slowly drove him crazy.

[@didi012578]

​@@truthseeker2321 Homelessness isn't a new and modern circumstance. It's always existed.

[@SnowWolfAlpha]

Perhaps he halluciated the unconcious people mocking him.

[@truthseeker2321]

@@didi012578 I know that, but not in the numbers we have today.

[@patronzulfan]

He definitely has paranoid shizophrenia, but i think butler is not only the suspect here i would say the neighbours and the towns people are also suspect here cause since butler has been into mental facility the house was empty so some one who knows the house and area very well might be behind this, this case feels like a big cover up for me cause, even the evidence related to jack the ripper can be found today i don't what happened to the evidence of this case, the thing is we are believing every words of the towns people and the relatives who wants the wealth, so maybe we are not seeing the big picture here.

[@thedoruk6324]

Beyond Creepy *and* Bedtime Stories upload at the Same time ?! That is a true joy to delight in ! Its perfection!

[@davidvschoor]

I just thought the same thing and was about to say that!!!

[@davidvschoor]

Legend

[@darabennett4316]

I screamed the same thing today😁

[@Bye_Good]

And Mr Ballen too. Monday’s are a great day! 😄 Bedtime Stories definitely my fav tho!

[@allgonewrongful]

Beyond creepy's didn't come up on mine, damn that's smashing!

[@samuelneil2691]

Bedtime and wartime stories, there is just something so unique about both channels. The narration is amazing and the illustrations set it apart from everyone else. It almost puts you there in the moment when these events happened.

[@prdurnion83]

It's episodes like this that truly show the amount of research done by the BTS team to give us great entertainment. They always make an effort to approach a subject at every angle, from mundane to extraordinary, giving both down-to-earth views as well as highly improbable concepts ( that are yet still within the realm of possibility ). Phenomenal work, as always!

[@wormymachine6386]

Couldn’t of said it better myself.

[@FallenAngel9979]

@@wormymachine6386 Couldn’t “HAVE” not “of”!

[@ImpendingJoker]

I postulate that someone that knew how crazy he was used his house for the storage of the bodies after he was taken away. They knew the house was empty and that anything...odd, would immediately blamed on the crazy guy that used to live there, and that when the bones were discovered, the original killer came and got them so they could be reburied somewhere else before the could be identified.

[@scrocrates6380]

I thought this as well. I can only imagine the horror of having to live in a house with corpses rotting under the floor boards.

[@truthseeker2321]

Or were the bodies already there, before he built the house? There were no shortages of criminal gangs after the Civil War, who would rob stagecoach passengers and kill them, bury them in unmarked graves. A stagecoach would usually carry six passengers plus the coachman.

[@marhawkman303]

@@truthseeker2321 That WOULD explain why the corpses had no clothes. If they'd been completely stripped naked to make sure they had nothing valuable on them.

[@truthseeker2321]

@Mar Hawkman I must have missed that, so I watched it again. That's really weird.

[@iwasanMBTInerd]

Then what about the trap door?

[@The_Texorcist]

Great story, fella sounded like a paranoid schizophrenic. Perhaps because of his large estate a laborer may have tried to rob his estate and upon catching him in the act he killed the laborer. That could have made him believe everyone was out to steal from him. The family could have been visiting or just strayed onto his property and he in his psychosis thought they too were going to rob him OR he saw the female of the family wanted him and that could have been the catalyst for the killing. Still though motive in this one doesn’t really matter, he likely was the only one that did the killings that ended the lives of at least 3 adults and 3 kids. Sad story.

[@Boss_Man00]

I think he was schizophrenic, when he had a fortune he suffered from paranoid schizophrenia. My grandpa had the same thing… the doctors told us that it was caused by a very traumatic event when he was younger, where someone was trying to kill him that pretty much traumatized the brain and made him start doubting people for any little thing or sometimes for no reason at all.

[@vinnyvtec8722]

I personally think that he did hear people snooping around his property at night, probably to get a glimpse of the loner freak because people were curious about him and he being in his paranoid delusional state murdered them thinking they were going to rob him. They might have been from out of the area too, as word may have got around about the 'crazy guy' and they wanted to see for themselves. That would explain why there was a roughly equal amount of men, woman and children but no family had been reported missing. Also if he deliberately built his house a distance away from the rest of his townsfolk, he clearly wanted to be left alone, but I imagine people didn't.

[@juiciestslice6430]

The way the writing, narration, animation, and interesting true stories coalesce always makes for excellent and compelling videos! I really admire this channel!

[@orionxtc1119]

I love the B&W original drawings... makes the stories even more evocative and mysterious...

[@ZombieGrandpa]

Living just a hour or two away from the site of these murders, (North Dakotan's always make allowance for weather conditions,) I can honestly say I have never heard this story before. It is truly the antithesis of life in ND- even more so back then. The region is still full of God fearing folk, with "fearing" meaning they respect God in their life and abide best as they are able by his instructions. Life here is idyllic, except for the snows of Winter- which we are still struggling with at the time of this post. Nothing like this ever happens in ND, least very rarely. But the state mental institution in Jamestown, mentioned in the story, is still running. (I had no idea it was this old.) I often pass it on my way into town for "supplies" from Wal-Mart. It goes to show that the human mind and soul are delicate things... and easily broken. Guard yours well.

[@Komotau4691]

In my country 1-2 hours distance is pretty long way :D

[@ZombieGrandpa]

@@Komotau4691 I can imagine that.

[@arth-ritisoutdooradventure7467]

Hey man, a lot can happen here in the middle of nowhere. I'm to the east of you but still in ND

[@이동연-c6d]

It seems like that the murderer use sledgehammer or mace to crush a skull. Now that’s a gruesome death…

[@しゅにシュニ]

I'm so proud of this channel. I remember first watching you 6 years ago. Been a loyal viewer since. 💕🖤💀

[@micheljavert5923]

Seems mildly impossible that a frontier/settler town could lose a whole family without any one noticing. People travelled, but not nearly as much as we do today. So random folk passing through and getting got is possible but not likely. Maybe some one else did the killings and/or dumping after Butler got sent away? Still leaves us at square one for everything else though. I don't know; it's weird as sh!t, man.

[@squamish4244]

If someone else did it, you would still have to account for how a family disappeared with no one noticing.

[@meatypatte7125]

@@squamish4244only theory I have is that it wasn’t a family but they were random people which ended up looking like a family or a bit more deranged the killer picked random people to become a family

[@squamish4244]

@@meatypatte7125 Ooff. Could well be. Could even be a set-up to throw the cops off and cast suspicion on the town.

[@JohntheLNERP2]

It's great to see you lads looking into the Midnight Runner mystery given how intriguing it is

[@blackluxurians6062]

Yes! A new upload from bedtime stories. The artwork in all his videos is excellent 👌

[@enricmm85]

The title of this episode makes me think of the Johnny Cash song. I can't help it. Go and tell that long tongue liar Go and tell that midnight rider Tell the rambler, the gambler, the back biter Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down

[@shannonbayley3684]

Bedtime Stories and Beyond Creepy. At the same time! Double the goodness at once 🙌

[@Seektheday]

The post credits scene had me laughing way too hard

[@TigerLily61811]

thanks for mentioning I almost missed it!

[@katiemccausland2586]

Me to! I was not expecting that whilst painting 😂😂

[@weekendmom]

The true crime videos are always good.

[@smartman123]

the art work just masterpiece very eerie and creepy

[@jacklambert1521]

There's nothing quite like sitting down to enjoy and old Bedtimes Story tale late at night, only to see a brand new one just out of the oven! Thank you guys for making my whole night!

[@MsJoesmith95]

This channel always has good content. I am a longtime watcher. Keep up the fantastic work!!!!

[@horrorfan1455]

Awesome am dealing with a cold and watching a bedtime stories episode will always make things better

[@XantherBlaze]

This story makes me miss Anthony Bourdain. 😔 I really loved him, he did a lot of really fantastic world journalism. Including this story.

[@sgauden02]

NICE! Who doesn't love a true crime mystery? I'm glad you did an episode on this case, as it doesn't seem as well known. While it's impossible to know for sure now, Eugene Butler does sound like a prime suspect!

[@JGI43]

One of the best channels on KZbin 😁

[@jks7969]

Love your work friend! Thank you so much for making these! Ps the background music you have makes them absolutely perfect! Keep up the great work!!

[@stewartfewster2221]

Excellent episode as always, top work from the bts team. I love it when it's a story I've never of before. These old timey true crime story's always notch the creepiness up to 11. Thanks again

[@luckysixteen9361]

How u get that icon by ur name

[@stewartfewster2221]

​@@luckysixteen9361 I got it when I became a member

[@CyTolliver]

A few facts that were left out - he’s got to run to keep on riding - doesn’t own the clothes he’s wearing - he has one more silver dollar

[@marsha-madness-super-badness]

And he's not gonna let em catch him, no.

[@PsyVen]

A genuinely creepy case -- one that I'd never heard of until now. Thanks for Bedtime Stories!

[@gregbors8364]

…but he’s not gonna let ‘em catch him, no. Not gonna let ‘em catch the Midnight Rider

[@jricks3909]

In his defense, he also mentioned that he's no angel and no stranger to the dark.

[@jaysonraphaelmurdock8812]

It's disturbingly amazing how little America cares about people with mental illness. And yes I'm an American. Good episode Bedtime Stories I have never heard of this.

[@ct6502c]

This story just proves yet again how dangerous schizos are and why we need to bring back mental asylums.

[@angelatheriault8855]

Perhaps he advertised in a big city newspaper for a couple to come board with him and do farm labor/housework and they brought their children. The black widow serial killer, Belle Gunness, lured unsuspecting men looking for matrimony to her farm and then robbed and killed them. Although in a small town such as Niagara, a new family arriving by train would have surely been noticed.

[@simonsimon325]

Also seems like he was under quite a bit of scrutiny from his neighbours. Likely he was a favourite object of gossip, so not sure he could have had anyone living on his property without people knowing. I personally think the family thing might be a red herring. They may have been individual victims and the family theory lead investigators down a blind alley.

[@mayormars5135]

Love this channel amazing episode and great art as always keep it up!

[@Endymion766]

Sounds like Butler murdered some folks and his guilty conscious drove him insane, or rather even more insane.

[@mirandagoldstine8548]

I have to agree.

[@alexbuckle1085]

It could have been ritual sacrifice. There are a lot of really wacky occult groups out that way, it's really hard to pick who belongs to those groups aside that they usually have degrading mental health.

[@patronzulfan]

Maybe these rituals are for protecting his house from thieves

[@arth-ritisoutdooradventure7467]

There aren't many cults in the Midwest, I'm not sure where you heard that though I'd be interested in reading up on it. You find them more on the West Coast and in the land west of the Appalachians and east of the Mississippi.

[@jordanalandry1866]

Out what "way"? Lmao this is VERY rural ND at the turn of the century believe me there's no occult groups and ritual sacrifice here and there certainly wasn't then there is like literally NO people here it's all land nobody and even less back then very old school, mostly immigrants from Syria/Lebanon and Germany up this way

[@thenutella8846]

Anyone else felt a wave of sadness when it was shown that three of the victims were children? I mean, any innocent person's murder is sad, but it really hits harder when it's just a child.

[@dollyhorton2579]

And your channel's creepy theme music! Probably the best opening soundtrack of any channel.

[@peterwilliams6361]

Divorce is never the way out, My wife and I have been having issues before I sort out help from a spiritual adviser,i wasnt going to let my marriage of 18years crash

[@peterwilliams6361]

@Mark Reeves well not the orthodox way but i was referred by a friend to a spiritual adviser and healer

[@peterwilliams6361]

@Mark Reeves her name is SHELLY RENEE WHITE,and she is a great spiritual adviser as well as caster

[@peterwilliams6361]

you can look her name up online and you will find all you need.

[@LTPottenger]

If the vows are violated the marriage is already broken.

[@Briselance]

"Divorce is never the way out" Uuuuh... yes. Yes, it very well is. A violent spouse, for example. Cheating can also be grounds for divorce, quite often. Besides, if one of the two parties is unwilling to talk the problem over, or if despite this, no mutually satisfactory solution can be reached, then the couple has to part ways.

[@Shame_Wizard]

I love your spooky documentaries.

[@Feline_Frenzy53]

The artwork is fantastic! Did you do it yourself?

[@MacDaddyMatt123]

Absolutely enthralled with the work you guys do, keep up the sublime work. (Also I’d love to see you all cover Son of Sam)

[@carloschristanio4709]

Sons

[@michaelandreipalon359]

Hmm, what's that tale about?

[@michelleresistance]

I like how you always pay tribute to victims x

[@jenniferlonnes7420]

Thanks for another story that I haven't heard before.

[@abqmalenurse]

You guys do an awesome job with this channel. I am a big fan of true mysteries and you often present stories I have not heard of. Even the ones I have heard of previously, you offer details I had not encountered before. Keep up the great work!

[@greatazuredragon]

This was a good one. Great work, thanks for the update.

[@Pembroke1]

You really dug deep for this episode, well done 🍻. Hopefully, they fine something, which leads to the identification of these unfortunate individuals in giving them peace.

[@sketchesofpayne]

I would hope people in the afterlife have something better to do than be restless about not having their bones identified.

[@Pembroke1]

@@sketchesofpayne depending on what culture, some some believe the land is for the living not for the dead. My culture believes when spirit has gone, cremate the bones and spread the ashes.

[@amandajackson2240]

I really do love the random little tidbits after the outro lol

[@quietone748]

I've missed you guys! Thank you for another gripping episode.

[@gr8flyerfan]

Fascinating video! I wasn't familiar with this story, I love your true crime stories the best!

[@deenutz1984]

Love this channel!!!!

[@josephwear9572]

Good. Glad to see a new beginning sequence for your channel title in this video.

[@mandymatt3rs]

These stories are so well crafted, creepy to the core🖤 I wonder if these will be popping up on podcasts soon. I know they are busy working on volume 3, can't wait!!

[@SamuelBlack84]

This story strongly reminds me of Night of The Hunter

[@thebigsaucey]

Best part of the week

[@bloodrunsclear]

He ain’t gonna let them catch him, no Not gonna let’em catch the midnight rider

[@myneighbourjohnturturro]

Your channel had been such a great discovery, I’ve spent the last five days watching every video! Have you ever considered Fox Hollow Farm as a subject? Seems perfect for you guys. Keep up the fantastic work!

[@bazza945]

Excellent graphics, especially the animated waterfall. Thanks for the chills.😮

[@TheDoctorProfessor]

Phenomenal episode BTS! Keep up the good work!

[@starofjustice1]

ikr?

[@MiKeMiDNiTe-77]

Thanks again for the great work you guys do here.

[@rebeccalove9169]

I wonder if the property that sits on this land is haunted by the poor innocent souls that were killed and never identified?

[@Komotau4691]

Try to sleep there... :D

[@burkanx5546]

Watching Bedtime stories on a BnW CRT TV, lying in bed with the lights off is quite the experience.. ngl I got little sleepy by the end of this episode.

[@kevingluys3063]

Rural People: "I'm glad I live out in the country without all those weirdo city folk." Like half of rural True Crime: "Neighbors pulled off all of the corpse's fingers and toes to keep as souvenirs as the sheriff did nothing to stop them."

[@gawne87]

Great video once again long time fan 👏🏼

[@keithblount229]

Thanks for the awesome upload. 👍🏻

[@djm24able]

DUDE YESSSSSS A PERFECT WAY to end a beautiful Tennessee Sunday evening with a episode from my favorite channel! Love you Guys!

[@stevenconroy5864]

That was a really good 1 thx guys

[@einienj3281]

Ooh.. true crime! I've become addicted to true crime during the pandemic.. 😅 Thank You Guys!

[@Lawnmower737]

This channels true crime and unsolved mysteries are the best, I love the way they paint this kind of stuff. If only they could make more of it, it’s too good.

[@rabbitsonjupiter6824]

I'm also a true-crime addict! Especially when it's vintage true-crime! 🕵️🤓

[@franklee2477]

Another brilliant presentation fellas👍🙂👍

[@stewart88]

Great job as always!!! Thank you for the work you do!!!

[@jpk2145]

You guys should do an episode on Houska Castle!! @bedtimestories

[@blackluxurians6062]

Yes!!! That would be cool 😎

[@Komotau4691]

Tourist attraction full of satanism to make the money lmao Anyway they already did video about that. But there were more stories in one video. Timeholes or something like that.

[@mirandagoldstine8548]

Yea. Please talk about Houska Castle. I have heard there’s a dark energy surrounding that place and the reason why it was built is an enigma. It has no access to fresh water other than a cistern, no kitchen to feed the residents and staff, was built far away from any trade routes and is pretty much surrounded by swamps, forest and mountains. No one has a clue why the castle was built in the first place. I mean castles back then were meant to protect areas that had valuable resources or else trade routes that passed through it but seemingly the area has no mineral riches unless there were mines in the mountains during the High Middle Ages. That’s the only reasonable explanation I can think of other than the claim it’s guarding something dark.

[@shagohad3]

@@mirandagoldstine8548 Isn't that the castle where all the archer slits are on the inside walls facing the center and is rumored to have been built on a gate to hell?

[@mirandagoldstine8548]

@@shagohad3 Yep.

[@glendanison3064]

Another terrific episode as usual. Whats even better I have never heard of this crime before.

[@SuperClaire72]

Another fantastic story. Thank you.

[@dfektdysfunkshun6215]

Yessir 👍 this is quite well timed. Also, this is the title of one of my favorite songs ever 😂

[@universalflamethrower6342]

Wohow, suddenly all my favorite storytellers are uploading simultaneously !!! Praise The Lord.

[@dollyhorton2579]

I can't tell you how much I enjoy your videos. I am always pleasantly surprised when I see a new one. Your excellent work is very much appreciated, thank you! I have also started listening to the Wartime Stories channel, and it is also excellent.

[@Dravianpn02]

The fact he was paranoid and was probably schizophrenic doesn't help his case, especially when he did things and didn't remember. That paints the most giant of red flags lol.

[@northernsoutherngirl]

When I first glanced at the title, I immediately thought: what does The Allman Brothers have to do with the Bedtime Stories team?? (For all you kids, look up the song 'Midnight Rider' by The Allman Brothers. Great. Damn. Song!!)Then I listened to the opening commentary.😅 Great video as usual!👍🏾

[@TheKeyser94]

I was thinking more about the Stephen King story.

[@SuperSaiyanGuyver]

I saw the title and thought "I got one more silver dollar." too.

[@northernsoutherngirl]

@@SuperSaiyanGuyver 🤣😅

[@matthewplayer8337]

Great work! I've tried multiple times using this technique with no success, what you did is NOT easy. I had a stack melt into my refractory which led to my forge throwing green flames for about 6 months.

[@giniwalters8401]

This was a great story, I enjoyed it!!! Awesome narration 💙 Thank you Bedtime Stories!!! May God bless you, keep you healthy and safe ❤️❤️

[@gabrielinostroza4989]

I really missed grizzly true crime stories in between the more paranormal ones

[@WeebDweebTCG]

Always glad when a Bedtime Stories vid drops! People worried they'll run out of content. lol Nah.

[@patrickbone6171]

Very interesting and as always,well told

[@wesmartino64]

Definitely not a personality disorder. Most definitely schizophrenia. I work with schizophrenics on daily basis

[@mecahhannah]

Awesome as always thanks guys

[@mauchersgirl]

I’m born and raised in North Dakota and I’ve never heard about this. I’m about 4 hours east of grand forks though. Thanks for sharing!

[@이동연-c6d]

It’s good to see your new video on Suday afternoon with new opening!!! XD :)

[@XantherBlaze]

They really messed up that guys life. That guy had, 3 war medals. What they did to him was evil. He was a war hero. Cowards. Even they traveled over 4000 miles. Blessed to be there and they ruined his life.

[@cyankirkpatrick5194]

This whole thing is very suspicious to me, I mean all of a sudden the sheriff is relived.

[@Unholymackrl]

amazing video! well done

[@mrskenscott9643]

Great, as always. I was NOT expecting the after credit treat. 😉

[@mousetreehouse6833]

Ive been hooked ever since your Windego episode 😱!! Guess it goes without saying (😌but of course i will say it), keep up the good work! 😉✔️

[@jackie0604oxon]

A fascinating case - at a time when most people were religious, I'm amazed that no one in the community thought to give the bodies a proper burial. Had they done so, there would have been the DNA avaialble.

[@scallopohare9431]

It seems most likely the family was passing through, and made the mistake of trying to purchase food or lodging from Butler. A wagon would have been easy to burn, a horse or two would be expected on a farm. People carried cash, so maybe part of Butler's fortune came from the deceased.

[@edamnaf9265]

I immediately thought of "Midnight Rider" by the Allman brothers.